White House on defensive over prisoner swap
WASHINGTON — The White House argued on Tuesday that the “unique circumstances” presented by the opportunity to return Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl gave President Barack Obama the authority to lawfully bypass a federal statute requiring the Pentagon to notify Congress a month before he transferred the five Taliban detainees necessary to complete the deal.
Germany begins inquiry in US surveillance case
BERLIN — Germany’s federal prosecutor announced Wednesday that he had begun a formal investigation of what he called “unknown” members of U.S. intelligence agencies on suspicion that they had eavesdropped on one of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphones.
Mostly dry weekend for commencement and reunions
As MIT welcomes the families of students and alumni for commencement and class reunions, the Boston “weather machine” is showing its notorious variability. A strong low-pressure system moved through the area yesterday, bringing heavy rain. During commencement this morning, the tail end of this system is pushing through the region. Conditions will be mostly cloudy. Showers are possible, with the weather models predicting about a 20 percent chance of rain. The likelihood of rain diminishes later in the day Friday and into Saturday.
Civilians killed by the U.S. in Yemen tied to al-Qaida
SANAA, Yemen — The kidnappers pulled up in a pickup truck outside the Taj barbershop in an upscale neighborhood here in the Yemeni capital. One held an AK-47 assault rifle and the other carried a stun gun. As the men went inside, nearby shopkeepers heard shots.
Occupy Wall Street inmate visited by Russian protesters
NEW YORK — Most people disappear from the headlines into the gray anonymity of Rikers Island jail after they are found guilty in state court in Manhattan.
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The three Detroit automakers announced vehicle recalls Friday, though they said none of the defects had resulted in accidents or injuries.
Disease of Pakistan’s poor now worries the affluent
KARACHI, Pakistan — Until recently, polio was considered a poor man’s problem in Pakistan — a crippling virus that festered in the mountainous tribal belt, traversed the country on interprovincial buses, and spread via infected children who played in the open sewers of sprawling slums.
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WASHINGTON — In a rare venture into foreign policy, Michelle Obama on Saturday condemned the abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by terrorists and said that she and President Barack Obama had been personally touched by what she called an “unconscionable” act.
Pfizer continues to defend takeover bid for Astrazeneca
Pfizer on Saturday continued to press its case for a $106 billion takeover of AstraZeneca, the British drugmaker, in the face of mounting resistance on both sides of the Atlantic.
Two found dead after balloon catches fire
The authorities searched a wooded area in Virginia on Saturday for a third victim who was believed to have been killed when a hot air balloon caught fire Friday night and crashed at a festival.
Spring warmth pauses for chilly and cloudy weather
As you were heading out to campus this morning, you may have wondered why we’ve traded this weekend’s sunny skies and warm temperatures for today’s cool and cloudy weather. These unseasonably chilly conditions are thanks to what meteorologists call a “back door” cold front. Typically, cold fronts in the U.S. approach from the west or northwest. In the Northeast during springtime, however, it’s fairly common for cold fronts to approach from the north or northeast on the backside of a high pressure situated to our north. Winds behind such a cold front are from the east or northeast, allowing cool maritime air to filter in and replace warmer continental air. This is precisely the setup for last night and early this morning, which is why temperatures will top out at a mere 56°F (13°C) this afternoon.
Election commission votes to allow bitcoin donations
WASHINGTON — The Federal Election Commission voted Thursday to allow political committees to accept bitcoin donations and outlined the ways that the virtual currency can be used by federally regulated campaigns.
Snapchat settles charge with FTC that it deceived users
The disappearing act of messages on Snapchat, the mobile messaging service, has not been as foolproof as the company promised.
Obama policy bans employee use of leaked material
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is clamping down on a technique that government officials have long used to join in public discussions of well-known but technically still-secret information: citing news reports based on unauthorized disclosures.
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Both sides in the South Sudan civil war have committed crimes against humanity including arbitrary killings, mass rapes and other sexual violence, systematic pillaging and attacks on churches, hospitals and international aid facilities, the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan said Thursday in its most detailed report on the conflict.
Kellogg agrees to change labeling on Kashi line
The Kellogg Co., maker of some of the country’s most familiar breakfast cereals, said Thursday that it had agreed to drop the terms “all natural” and “nothing artificial” from some products in its Kashi line as part of a settlement agreement ending a class-action lawsuit.
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Oklahoma on Thursday delayed the execution of Charles F. Warner by six months, to allow time for a review of lethal injection procedures that was started after a bungled execution last week left a prisoner writhing in pain before he died of heart failure.
Tensions rise between China and Vietnam over disputed waters
BEIJING — China demanded that Vietnam withdraw ships from disputed waters around a Chinese drilling rig Thursday — the latest volley in a standoff that has quickly escalated into one of the most serious in years in the contested South China Sea.
Showers precede spring warm-up
The last weekend of spring semester will get off to a rainy start. A frontal system will pass through the area today and tomorrow, bringing the possibility of rain showers, and even the occasional thunderstorm. Today, in advance of the system, onshore winds will combine with cloud cover to keep temperatures in check. However, a warm front will pass through the area overnight, leading to considerably warmer temperatures during the day on Saturday.
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From its very beginnings, “Game of Thrones,” has been riddled with sexual brutality. The franchise, which started as a series of fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin about a bleak, feudal world, has at various times included a warrior king who claims his child bride on their wedding night and the gang rape of a young woman by “half a hundred shouting men behind a tanner’s shop.”